Put a Ring On It
by angie9281
Summary: Following recent events, Sookie is upset at being frozen out by Eric. deciding to move on and go on a date with someone else, she comes to make several realizations but wonders if she is too late. (a continuation of my previous stories-see my profile for reading order)


**Chapter 1**

"Are you even going to bother going to see her? Ever again? You've done nothing but avoid her the past two and a half months. And don't you think I've not noticed you pulling out that ring and staring at it blankly. Every day for the past two and a half months." Pam crossed her arms over her chest as she sat down across from Eric as he worked on the financial books of their bar. Business was better than ever and as many times as Sookie had tried to visit or call on the phone, Eric was staying away from her in every way possible. "You keep this up and you will lose her. You lost her once, don't let it happen again."

"I could have lost her back two and a half months ago.. By my own hands. Or claws, or whatever." he shot to his feet angrily. "All because that dead witch decided to come back and screw things up. We all thought we defeated her once and for all but I am wondering if she didn't win, after all. I need to finish this." he sat back down, not looking at Pam but she was not fooled a bit. He was distressed by his actions towards Sookie, everyone had known that. Marnie's spirit had taken over Sookie and using her powers, had managed to turn the Viking into a werewolf, keeping him under her power for the most part. And though managing to fight her influence off somewhat eventually, he had very nearly killed Sookie, her life left hanging in the balance. Alive and long since healed from her injuries, Pam had kept telling him how concerned she had been about the aftermath of it all. But day after day passed with the chasm between Eric and Sookie growing larger and wider . Sookie had not seen him since that night when Marnie was destroyed once and for all and they were sitting together alone in a park, both weary and injured from the events of the night. Events that Eric just couldn't get over. After all he had seen and done in his long existence, this one incident was probably the worst he had ever had to grapple with.

"She is not angry at you. She came again last night, you know. Of course you knew, you shared blood not that long ago. Yet you allowed her to leave her teary eyed…..you know, your distance could very well push her back into the arms of someone else. Perhaps not Bill-I don't think she would be stupid enough to go back to him -but you're very close to losing her again, if you haven't screwed it up already. Two and a half months! And you're hurting me too, you know. Seeing you like this. You deserve to be happy and if I have to drag you off to speak to her-"

"You really think you could drag _me_" he asked with only the slightest hint of amusement. Pam was tenacious, he knew. It was part of what had drawn him to her a century ago. "I need you to go. Before I really get pissed off." by the tone of his voice, Pam knew better than to say anything else.

"This isn't the last of it." she couldn't help but blurting out before exiting the office, slamming the door behind her. "Such a stubborn bastard!"

He went back to tackling the books but pushed back from the desk. Pam had, he grudgingly admitted, gotten to him. Taking the ring, he swept out of the office and past Pam, who was working the bar with Ginger.

"Oooh, he's going after her, ain't he? I knew you'd be persuasive." Ginger said with a excited expression.

"Just keep serving drinks, okay?" Pam replied snippily but was unable to fully hide her satisfied smirk.

**Chapter 2**

She had come home after spending some time with Jason, Bill and Jess over at Bill's house. She was grateful for the support of her friends and family and pleased with the news that Bill's second go-around as king of Louisiana was going far better than the first. But she had excused herself after a few hours, wanting some time for herself. Besides, she didn't feel like crying in front of everyone else. No sooner had she returned home and was locked securely in her place, she started blubbering, wishing she had her grandmother around still. No one understood her as well as her Gran had and it was a void she felt every day. It was barely ten at night but she wanted to just go to bed and perhaps find some comfort in her dreams. In the past few weeks especially, she had thrown herself into her job, working extra hours if nothing else than to put her mind on other things. She had all but given up on having the Viking back in the picture.

In her bed, she tried to do some reading, but found it a losing battle when her eyes only wanted to keep tearing up. Sobbing, she pulled her comforter over her head and just wished she could not only relieve the pain and rejection she felt now, but to help him cope. Stubborn and as vicious as he could be, Sookie knew the goodness and the honor that Eric had within him and she ached for the burden of guilt he was feeling. Knowing why he was staying away was not making things any easier and she could only pray she would see him sooner rather than later. There was a rapping on the window and for a moment, she thought it was the wind rattling the windows. But sitting up in bed, she looked at the window and through the sheer curtain, she saw something hovering behind. The storm outside was getting worse and as se opened the window, she was pelted with rain and wind which was quickly stopped when the towering figure pushed her gently back, closing the window behind him.

"Nice weather we're having." he said as he went and got her a towel from the bathroom. Soaking we himself, he looked slightly abashed. "sorry for getting your carpet wet. Again."

"At least it isn't blood this time." she replied, unsmiling. "What do you want?" she asked coldly. "Do you know or even care how I have felt the past couple months? Trying to get a hold of you only be refused or told how I had just missed you….." she paused. "I should probably tell you though….I do need to leave shortly. I've got a date."

"What?" he whispered after a tense silence.

"After you stopped having any contact with me, I got depressed. I mean, really, really depressed. I may be a faerie-vamp but I still have feelings and after a month, I swear, I was close to a mental breakdown. I really thought….I was almost at the brink and I decided to go to the library, maybe find something to read to help me cope. I met a nice man working at the front desk and we kind of hit it off. He asked me out and we're going on our third date tomorrow. I can't take any more times of you running off and just….making me worry and fret and feel…" Sookie turned her back on him, trying not to show her tears but the trembling of her body revealed the depths of her pain

He advanced on her and firmly forced her by the shoulders to turn around to face him. But she kept her head down and even when he tried to guide her chin up to face him she kept her eyes closed, all the while tears were rolling down her face. "I am not going to accept this…..you know why I stayed away, don't you? I couldn't bear to think of what I almost did to you. The guilt-"

"I know." Sookie replied, still not looking at him. "But what you put me through, staying away from me, has hurt me far more than when you nearly mauled me to death. That wasn't your fault but you had a choice to come to see me. To let me visit you. You refused. I can't spend all my time in such pain. You completely crushed me. The one person in my life I thought couldn't ever disappoint me, hurt me. Who I thought loved me….I guess things were going too well between us for it to have lasted for long. I thought you were committed to me. But then again, you can have anyone you want, can't you?"

"That's not what this is about though. There is no one else and never will be. You know well enough I am not exactly the most….emotional, save for when it comes to those I love. You, Pam, Willa. Even Tara, I suppose. I handle things differently than you and yes, I was wrong in going without speaking, talking to you for almost three months. I admit that."

She knew how hard it was for him to admit mistakes. It must have been a bitter pill to swallow. Still, the hurt was still very much present within her. "I am going to ask you to leave now. Please don't make me rescind your invitation."

Coming within inches of her, Eric was not about to leave on his own accord. "I am not leaving without getting to talk to you. I am sorry I went about things the wrong way and-"

"You've left me twice without explanation!" Sookie yelled as light began to form around her hands, her emotions getting the better of her. She knew, to be fair, the first time he skipped town she had thought they had parted on decent enough terms, what with him signing her house back over to her. Still, it had hurt her nonetheless.

"I just gave you a explanation!" he was rapidly losing his temper, his fangs were out now and he could see a glimmer of worry and fear in her eyes. He had seen that fear before during the debacle with Bill having gone off the deep end having drank Lilith's blood. Now he himself was responsible for putting that same look in her eyes. And it was killing him knowing that. "I…Sookie…." he tried to calm down but felt the anger and frustrations still.

"I rescind your invitation to my house." Sookie replied through another torrent of tears. she couldn't bear watching him be pulled back out her window by a invisible force, the window slamming shut behind her. Flopping face first into her bed, her muffled sobs were heard clear as day from the outside. Eric slammed onto the ground feet first and raked a hand through his hair, turning around to see Pam leaning against a tree.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll turn around and head back to the bar." he said, stalking away from Sookie's house. But Pam grabbed him by the arm and took the engagement ring from his jacket pocket. "That's pretty much useless now, you know. She's got….a date…tomorrow night."

"So she does, does she. Trouble is, it's not going to be with who she thinks." Pam replied with a smirk. "I don't usually care about these things but I think it may be fun playing cupid. A cupid that can bite the head off of anyone but a cupid, regardless."

**Chapter 3**

Sookie dressed the next night in a simple blue dress and matching heels. Making sure her hair was just right, she finally let it cascade down the front of her shoulders in freshly curled waves. Makeup, earrings and purse gathered together, she heard the honking of a car horn outside. Walking out to meet her date, she waved at the man behind the wheel of the sleek red pickup truck. Hopping into the passenger seat, she greeted the skinny, curly haired farm boy. They'd struck up a conversation while she served him at Bellefleurs and she had learned a good amount about him he worked on a dairy farm and was the oldest of three kids. Mason Jensen was nothing if not kind, and, in Sookie's mind, very cute with those green eyes and deep dimples when he smiled. They'd spent some time together, going to get ice cream or hanging out at Bellefleur's but this was their first real date.

"Evening, Sookie. You look nice." he said as soon as she settled into the seat. Handing her a small bouquet of freshly cut flowers, he grinned. "Fresh from the farm, of course."

Smelling them deeply, Sookie smiled. "thanks Mason. They're nice. So where are we going?"

"I got us a nice picnic and was thinking maybe eating down by Lake Dewberry." he replied. "And then a nice walk on the shore?"

"Sounds nice." she replied with a smile. As nice of a time as it sounded, she couldn't help feel a pang of guilt. Had she been too harsh? Too unwilling to forgive? Or was it time for her to move on with her life and try to get over the pain she incurred. Reaching the lake a short time later, they parked and ate by the light of the moon and some better operated lanterns. Laying out a blanket on the grass, they were soon enjoying some sandwiches, vegetables and some wine he had brought.

"Sorry about not bringing any fine dining plates or glasses. But they never would have lasted long in my truck, the way I drive." Mason apologized sheepishly as he poured Sookie another helping of wine into a plastic cup.

She laughed as they finished their drinks. "Did you hear that?" Sookie said with a frown. "Sounded like there was something in the grass over there?" she pointed to a area a half mile away. Her vamp hearing told her without a doubt something was lurking but she was not about to reveal any of her secrets, even to Mason. The less people who knew of her abilities, the better.

Taking a long knife from his belt, Mason was clearly always prepared for anything. "I'll go see what it is. You stay here, okay?"

Nodding, Sookie knew she was safe, this place was deserted and as peaceful as anywhere she knew. And even if there was a wild animal out there, she had the firepower to fight it off. Or worse. Ten minutes later, Mason returned, looking dazed and instead of heading to Sookie, he climbed into is truck and drove off in a hurry. "Hey!" Sookie tried to take off after the truck but stumbled on some roots poking out of the ground, flat on her face, she looked up to see a pair of magenta pumps in front of her. Getting to her feet, she saw a smug looking Pam facing her. "Oh, great. It was you, wasn't it. Which means-"

"I have come to like you Sookie. And I would not do this for anyone else but you two. I know you're angry at him and no one loves a good bout of anger than me. Actually, you should see the job Eric did on his office when he got back from your place last night. It was nice to see him put his sword to use…." Pam trailed off as Sookie glared at her. "Anyway, I made it so your new little friend doesn't remember a thing about you and I sent him home unscathed. So you two can make up."

"I already told him how I felt." Sookie said angrily but her eyes darted around and she clearly wasn't fooling Pam, who told the faerie-vamp as much.

"You can't put anything past me. You love him and wanted him to come after you again. You're glad your date is gone. You really can't fool me."

"He up and left me." Sookie said, voice trembling. "I am not going to keep letting myself getting a hurt. After all the sacrifices I made for not just him but all of my friends. After everything I have tried to do to help everyone….I don't need this anymore."

Pam paced back and forth for a moment before speaking again. "You know him and his back story. However, you've not been by his side for a century as I have been. I am sure by now you know more about his life before you. If nothing else, you should realize he has suffered losses that affected him greatly. Do you have any idea how your death would affect him? I don't think my passing would hold a candle to the reaction yours would bring over him. Truthfully, I don't think he would want to go on with his own life any more. You've no idea how that makes me feel. I admit, I am jealous of you, replacing me as his favorite."

"I never wanted to replace anyone and I think its is safe to say you are not replaceable. You've become a good friend to me and I don't want to lose that. But if you think I will just up and forget all the pain he's put me through-"

"Think about what you've put him through., not just now, but in the past." Pam reminded Sookie. "Neither of you have clean hands in this relationship. Now. He is here waiting for you and if you will take this and follow it to him, I think maybe tonight this impasse can finally be broken. I'll leave you to it then, god knows I can't leave Ginger unsupervised for very long." slipping a map to Sookie, Pam flew off into the night, leaving Sookie alone with much to chew on.

**Chapter 4**

Her enhanced senses made it easy to navigate through the woods, trekking up and down slopes until she reached clearing where a rock formation had created a gently flowing waterfall. Looking at the map she had been give, Sookie knew she was in the right area, having followed the path Pam had directed her to take. It was eerily peaceful now and she vowed to wait a few minutes before trying to find some way to get out of here, to return to civilization. "Look, I don't know what I am waiting for, but I'm giving you five minutes to get your big Viking butt out here."

And dropping down from the sky, Eric appeared several feet away from her, landing without a sound on the soft forest ground. "Glad you didn't get lost. I worried that Pam wouldn't make the map detailed enough-"

"'I'm not a idiot." she replied. "And thanks for crashing my date. I was actually having a good time."

Smirking, he sat down on a large rock. He was dressed rather formally, a very rare sight indeed. All black, of course, the three piece suit was nonetheless as handsome as ever. "So you say with your words but I can see in your eyes you're happy to see me."

"Cocky as ever." Sookie was unable to fight her own little smirk, which faded fast behind her mask of anger and hurt. "So. What is it? And just why are you all dressed up?"

He said nothing as he walked up to her and placed something in her hands. "I'm not practiced in any of this but I wanted to try this again. I was planning on doing this before but then the whole wolf incident with Marnie happened and so…"

Looking into her hands, she saw the ring she had seen months ago when she had found in the remains of his torn up clothes. A platinum tribal looking band, the diamond set with it sparkled brightly even in the moonlight. "I….I…..it's so pretty. The last time I saw it I had other concerns. Like figuring out how to undo your furry little problem…."

"So? What do you say? I bet this isn't exactly what you planned, when you were little, being proposed to in a forest. By someone of my….persuasion. "

She laughed, which honestly, felt good. "Not even close to how I imagined being proposed to…oh, it really is pretty, isn't it?" she admired the ring in the box that rested in his large hands. "I hope you aren't trying to make me just up and forget all you put me through. I can't just switch off my feelings and thoughts, you know." she paused. "But having talked to Pam and knowing your past…..I understand you better. You'll always be the most interesting person I will ever know and I want to know everything about you. I want you to be happy too and I think I know now, once and for all, who I need to be with. Who I have wanted, I think since the night I first met you in your bar. I didn't want to admit it at the time, but you….you piqued my interest, I can say that for certain." Without saying anything else, she held out her left hand and waited for him to place the piece of precious jewelry on the proper finger. As it slid on, fitting perfectly, she sighed. "It's never going to be easy for us, is it?"

Cupping her chin he raised an eyebrow. "I learned at a very young age that nothing that is worth your time and effort is easy. And as far as you go, I would do anything to keep us together, no matter what. I just hope after this, you can see that."

"I'm just glad you didn't glamour my date into doing something insane. That you actually restrained yourself from doing so…I find myself impressed., to be honest. So…"

"Come on, come on. Are we going to start planning a wedding or do I have to risk ruining another pair of pumps on your account." Pam appeared at that moment, leaning against a tree, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "So it would seem you 're going to join the family, eh?"

"Seems so." Sookie replied as she allowed her to be scooped up by her new fiancé. "And for once, I want to rush this. This is a long time coming and if there's anyone I know who can help put this thing together, its you Pam. And I am sure Jess would be willing to help out. And maybe even some of the girls from my work."

Pam crinkled her nose at the thought of working with humans. She wasn't exactly friends with Arlene or Holly. But Tara, recently brought back from the dead-in a manner of speaking, she had been brought back as a vamp-would certainly help. And maybe Willa. "I suppose I can deal with the motley crew of women you and I know for a pre wedding party and then the wedding. And yes, I can lead getting thins put together. How about we shoot for two weeks?"

Sookie looked up to Eric for agreement. "I suppose I can wait another two weeks. And I am trusting you, Pam, to make certain that-"

"It will be the wedding to end all weddings, the bridal shower to end all bridal showers, blah, blah blah." Pam rolled her eyes. "So I suppose I had better get things started now, huh?" flying up into the night, she left the two alone in the woods, sharing a long kiss that certainly would not be their last.

**The End**


End file.
